Relaxed and with his English showing a marked improvement, the Italian also revealed that he had sought advice from the last two coaches to win the World Cup - and was left under no illusions as to what it took to be successful.

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Luiz Felipe Scolari won the World Cup with Brazil in 2002, while Marcello Lippi was the coach of Italy in 2006 when they defeated France on penalties in the final, and both have offered advice to Capello.

"I spoke with Scolari and I spoke with Lippi and both told me that the group was a very, very strong group, a very strong unit, the first 11 and the whole squad of 23 stayed together and were very focused.

"Without the group, it's impossible to win. You have to be together. Always at a World Cup, a European Championship, the team that wins it has a strong group. I remember in the first game when we played Switzerland, I was very worried because I didn't see the spirit and the English characteristics.

"But after four games I am very happy because we have moved on and have found the spirit of the group. We fight, we pressed a lot in the last two games, and we won the ball back quickly."

Rumours persist that one England midfielder, Frank Lampard, could be on his way to Italy. "Every experience makes you richer," was Capello's take.

Lampard is one player who can offer Capello individual flair, the "fantasy" he demands, though he said: "No names, never. It is a group. We have some players with good fantasy, very interesting players."

Capello gave little away after his first scouting mission on Croatia, the country who effectively ended Steve McClaren's unsuccessful reign as England manager. But, just hours after seeing Slaven Bilic's side beat co-hosts Austria with only an early penalty, he carried the air of a man who believed he had seen enough to know how to win.

"I am very confident we will qualify for the World Cup," Capello said. "I know the players better and they know me now, and I'm sure we have a very good squad with very good players."

Capello accepts the importance of having one striker who can be relied upon, like a Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer or even Michael Owen. That Dean Ashton's England debut, against Trinidad and Tobago, lasted a disappointing 45 minutes will not deter the manager from giving the West Ham striker another chance.

"He will be with us for the next games as long as he is fit. I don't understand the criticism of Ashton because the England shirt brings a lot of pressure. He is a good player. I am happy now. I know Crouch very well, Ashton played and he is the future, because he is young. I repeat: it's very, very important to have a good group. You have to fight a different way, not waiting for the striker alone."

Success in the Premier League, warned Capello, did not guarantee success in major finals. He explained: "This is the reason a lot of good players play very well with their clubs but are not the same as the national team. One example is Fabregas, who is one of the best players in England, but does not play often for Spain. It's possible the pressure is very big and he suffers a little bit."